ATTACHMENT D – PROJECT ABSTRACTS
FY 2017
Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Program
Project Abstracts
Georgia Department of Education (GA) $61,579,800 proposes to implement the Literacy for Learning, Living and Leading in Georgia (L4GA) Project in order to improve student literacy learning, teacher delivery of instruction, school climate and academic outcomes across all sub-groups of children, from birth to grade 12. The State’s project outcomes include improvements in (a) student foundational literacy learning as well as content and disciplinary literacy; (b) professional capacity among teachers (pre-service and in-service) and other school staff; (c) instructional quality (preschool to grade 12); (d) community participation with literacy related activities; (e) school climate; and (f) systemic policies at the State level. The Georgia Department of Education anticipates serving between 37,050 to 74,100 children each year.
Kansas Department of Education (KS) $27,042,948 proposes to implement the Kansas Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Initiative, in partnership with the State’s literacy experts, to collectively build, deliver and support effective literacy systems in order to meet the literacy and language needs of disadvantaged children across the State. The project outcomes include an enhanced and collective level of knowledge and impact regarding literacy interventions and practices throughout the State of Kansas. The project seeks to strengthen literacy learning and growth for English Learners, students with disabilities and students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Kansas anticipates awarding grants to nine local educational agencies which could impact approximately 137,500 students.
Kentucky Department of Education (KY) $24,933,147 proposes to implement KyCL FLUENT: A Framework for Literacy to Unify and Engage Networks of Teachers. This is a comprehensive literacy initiative to refine and strengthen a decade of focus on professional learning supports and systems for literacy. The main objectives are to increase gains in oral language skills for 4-year-olds, Kindergarten-readiness, increase reading proficiency at all school levels and increase content proficiency at the secondary level. Kentucky estimates that six hundred (600) schools and agencies will receive help to develop and implement comprehensive literacy plans. In doing so, 200,000 young children and students from birth to grade 12 will be served.
Louisiana Department of Education (LA) $55,500,000 proposes to extend the SRCL program and focus on the following three central objectives for its project, which are aligned with the State’s Comprehensive Literacy Plan and overall reform plan: (1) sub-grantees must use a high-quality, evidence-based curriculum aligned with the State standards; (2) sub-grantees must use approved tools to conduct assessments that are aligned with the State standards and use real-time data for decision-making and adjustments to practices; and (3) LEAs, teachers and staff must receive professional development to support their execution of the Standards and Curriculum and the Assessment Components of their plan. The Louisiana Department of Education proposes a plan to achieve, over the life of the grant, an increase of at least 8% in student achievement and a 25% increase in teacher effectiveness for awarded sub-grantees. The State plans to provide a total of 80 sub-grants to LEAs serving an estimated 96,400 Louisiana children.
Maryland State Department of Education (MD) $45,000,000 proposes to implement a project whereby the State will: use evidence-based practices for designing and implementing effective professional learning; ensure that local literacy plans are aligned to the comprehensive State literacy plan; utilize data to develop and implement practices targeted to increase the numbers of disadvantaged children served by high quality programs and practices in order to improve program and student outcomes; strengthen alignment of State and local language and literacy standards across a continuum from birth through grade five; and develop a State and local system of professional learning and technical assistance to streamline the SRCL program implementation. The expected outcome of the project is increased literacy achievement for disadvantaged students from birth through grade 12 in order to provide educational equity and academic success for all Maryland children.
Minnesota Department of Education (MN) $21,150,093 proposes to develop sustainable system processes and coaching supports for educators and educational leaders to improve their capacity to fully implement evidence-based literacy practices, engage families and build educator competency and efficacy in order to increase the literacy skills of disadvantaged children in Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Education estimates that up to 30,000 children could be served by this project. The overarching goal for this effort is to provide coherent experiences for children that lead to improved learner outcomes in order to advance the literacy skills of disadvantaged children in Minnesota.
Montana Office of Public Instruction (MT) $24,111,419 proposes to implement a project that will advance literacy skills, including pre-literacy skills, reading and writing for children from birth through Grade 12, with an emphasis on disadvantaged children. The State will target sub-grants that propose a high-quality comprehensive literacy instruction program supported by moderate or strong evidence and that aligns with the Montana Comprehensive Literacy Plan, as well as local needs. Montana anticipates awarding 25 to 35 sub-grants which will serve an estimated 15,000 children and students (approximately 40 percent will be American Indian) and over 2,000 educators. The ultimate outcome is to achieve improved literacy skills for disadvantaged children and students across Montana.
New Mexico Public Education Department (NM) $20,000,000 proposes Literacy Connections, to create a compendium of evidenced-based literacy practices and to provide training and technical assistance to sub-grantees, which are founded in the five core components of the State’s literacy framework: (1) Leadership; (2) Comprehensive Assessment; (3) Evidence-based interventions and practices; (4) Exemplary teachers supported through Professional Development; and (5) Family Engagement. The program’s goal is to improve school readiness and significantly increase the number of children who meet the State’s language and literacy standards by supporting early language and literacy skills from birth to age 5, ensuring that children are “reading to learn” by third grade and increasing reading proficiency for children in grades 4–12 with a focus on serving disadvantaged children across the Birth–12 continuum. The funding will be used to serve approximately 30,000 students from at least 12 districts.
North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (ND) $28,800,000 proposes a plan to implement comprehensive literacy instruction programs with moderate to strong evidence of efficacy, fidelity and differentiation of instruction for children from birth to age three, four and five-year-olds, kindergarten through Grade 5 and middle through Grade 12. The State’s overall goal is that North Dakota will integrate and align resources and policies to support the literacy skills of disadvantaged children from birth through Grade 12 in order to graduate “Choice Ready” with the knowledge, skills and disposition to be successful in whatever they choose to do. North Dakota anticipates awarding between 10 to 15 sub-grants to LEAs and early childhood programs located throughout the State. By January 2020, North Dakota’s goal is to increase literacy skills of approximately 5,500 children supported by 375 teachers in 275 classrooms.
Ohio Department of Education (OH) $35,000,000 proposes to implement a project that will enhance birth to grade 12 literacy outcomes for the most disadvantaged students; implement evidence-based practices with fidelity by providing professional development based on approved needs assessments; ensure sub-grantees develop evidence-based literacy plans aligned to the State plan; and enhance data driven decision-making through an engagement with the Ohio Improvement Process. The State’s goals for all of the awarded sub-grantees include increasing the oral language skills in participating four-year-olds and increasing the number of students in 5th grade, 8th grade and high school who meet or exceed proficiency on the State English Language Arts Assessment. Ohio is planning to award 30 – 40 grants which are estimated to serve a total of approximately 45,000 students.
Oklahoma State Department of Education (OK) $21,323,575 proposes to further the research and advancement of literacy and writing skills and support the ongoing development of reading proficiency and comprehension. The project will serve an estimated 42,050 students through approximately 25 LEA sub-grants. In addition, a minimum of 2,500 teachers within the estimated 25 districts will receive intensive, job-embedded professional development each year. The overall outcomes for the project include an increase in the number of four-year-olds that have the pre-literacy skills needed for school success and an increase in the reading scores for elementary, middle and high school students.